Colored granule



Patented June 4, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE '1 2,003,849 COLORED GRANULE William H. Alton, New York, N. Y., assignor to V R. T. Vanderbilt Company, Incorporated, New

York, N. Y., a corporation of New York No Drawing. Application September 14, 1932, Serial No. 633,078

6 Claims. (01. 91-70) This invention relates to new colored granules sistant to the alkaline bath employed in coating suitable for various decorative purposes and inthe granules. O a e010ri11g matter y be cludes both the new product and the method of u ilized for some purposes but in gener producing it. ganic pigments are not as permanent in color 5 Various methods of coloring granular inert bases w n p d t w at r nd tions as the usual 5 to produce colored granules for ornamental purinorganic p g used for such P p poses have been proposed, M t of th nd In forming the colored granules, the inert base particularly those which have been utilized comis coated with a siliceous coating, pref ra ly by mercially involve coating th granules d th precipitating an insoluble salt of silicic acid onto roasting them to fuse the coating and produce a the base from an alkali silicate solution. Solul0 weatherproof product, that is, a product which tions of potassium and sodium silicate and paron exposure to the elements for a prolonged peticularly r y W r glass r pref rr d r riod of time retains decorative properties, The this purpose. The siliceous coating may also be anules of this invention are not subjected to p c d y c a g a silicate solution by the high temperatures such as are required for fusaddition of an acid such as hydrochloric acid 15 ing or roasting and may therefore b prepared or other suitable electrolyte. I prefer to precipiat a much lower cost and in very inexpensive tate the coating from solution by the use of a equipment, Various wast t i l d th salt of a metal which forms a. silicate less soluble products may b used as th ba t b 1 d than the alkali silicates and therefore precipitates and since all the raw at rial tili are a siliceous coating on the base. Such salts as readily available and inexpensive, with the possi- Calcium Chloride, pp Salts, y be ble exception of the pigments used, the product ployed- Th at r nul preferably f r may be quite inexpensively prepared, and for this Washing, are then dried- The coloring matt and other reasons is to be preferred for many may be inc rp ra in o t ranule, in any purposes. suitable manner as by mixing with the granules I According to thi inventi n an i t b before bringing them into contact with the sillterial is coated with a siliceous covering and an a y t miXing with the a e Or in artificial coloring material to give a product suitany other suitable way to produce the desired able for application to asphalt shingles or other effectrooflng, for bordering gardens, for admixture In Order to give body to the coloring t I with concrete, plaster, etc. for the manufacture prefer to add extending agents Such as Whiting of garden furniture, etc d for many outdoor or silicates to the coating, to give the color of uses where an inexpensive colored decorative the coating the proper Covering P p ties. granule is desired, According to a preferred method of carrying Various substances may be employed as the base out the process, Coloring at e d t s cate to be coated, such, as sand, crushed slate, stone Solution are fi d together. A ball mill and other naturally occurring mineral matter. may dvant ou ly b empl y d for h pur- The waste tailings from quarries such as granite pose- Th n h ran l are m x into the requarries and washeries where china clay, etc. are sulting ut or su pe To p pitat prepared may advantageously be used, The Dr coagulate the silicate, the mass is then advan- 4 waste from mica production, slag (artifi ial or tageously introduced into a suitable electrolyte, natural), tiff from lithopone manufacture, etc. preferably in a tank q pp With agitating may be employed. Although I prefer to use an meansinert mineral base, such inert material as saw- 1 p I y mix 60 pounds of dust, wood shavings, etc. may be utilized. Granaum wat r lass, 0 p unds f um green ules of various sizes may be employed although and 44 pounds of Whiting in a ba l m l- When for most purposes it is preferred to screen out thoroughly ground togetherI put into 100 pounds granules of relatively uniform dimensions to be of the mixture 1375 poundsof calcium carbonate coated. granules of such size that all pass through a 10 so I prefer to color the granules with inorganic mesh screen but are retained on a 40 mesh screen. 5 pigments suchas chrome-green, chromic oxide, The granules and coating materials are mixed for cadmium yellow and cadmium red, Krebs pig- 10 minutes. They are then turned into a tank ment, etc. The granules may be colored white containing 1142 pounds of 18 Baum calcium by the use of titanium oxide or white zinc comchloride. After remaining for about an hour pounds. The pigments employed should be rewith suitable agitation, the silicate will have become precipitated onto the granules and the chloride solution may be drained or filtered off. The coated granules are then washed with perhaps three successive washings of clear water. The resulting coated granules are then dried without roasting, for example by exposure to the air or by heating to a temperature of for example 100 C. Asit is the object of this invention to produce inexpensive granules, I intentionally avoid fusing the coating which would involve heating costs and the cost of the necessary equipment and upkeep. The dried product is weatherproof and may be used for outdoor decorative purposes.

Instead of coating individual granules, the process may be applied to the agglomeration of fine particles such as sawdust or ground cork to give artificially colored, siliceous-coated agglomerates.

I claim:

1. In a method of coating granules of inert material with a solution of a substance capable of reacting with a soluble salt to form an insoluble silicate and thereafter treating the granules thus coated with a soluble salt in solution to cause the precipitation on the granules of an insoluble silicate coating; the step of washing the granules after the precipitation of the insoluble silicate coating to remove soluble salts.

2. In a method of coating granules of inert material with a solution of a silicate and thereafter treating the granules thus coated with a soluble chloride in solution to cause a precipitation on the granules of an insoluble silicate coating, the steps of washing the granules after the precipitation of the insoluble silicate coating to remove soluble salts and then drying the granules without roasting.

3. In a method of coating granules of inert material with a solution of a salt capable of reacting to form an insoluble silicate and thereafter treating the granules thus coated with a solution of a reagent capable of reacting with the salt of said first solutionto precipitate an insoluble silicate coating on the granule, and which contains added coloring matter; the step of washing the granules after the precipitation thereon of the insoluble silicate coating to remove soluble salts to an extent such that the granules when exposed to the weather will not eiiloresce.

4. In a method of coating granules of inert material with a solution of a salt capable of reacting to form aninsoluble silicate and thereafter treating the granules thus coated with a solution of a reagent capable of reacting with the salt of said first solution to precipitate an insoluble silicate coating on the granule, and which contains added white pigment; the step of washing the granules after the precipitation thereon of the insoluble silicate coating to remove soluble salts to an extent such that the granules when exposed to the weather will not efiioresce.

5. A granule coated according to the method set forth in claim 1.

6. A colored granule made in accordance with the method set forth in claim 3.

WILLIAM H. ALTON. 

